Ecological Assessment Stage 2, Weinam Creek Priority
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ECOLOGICAL ASSESSMENT STAGE 2, WEINAM CREEK PRIORITY DEVELOPMENT AREA Prepared for Redland Investment Corporation Biodiversity Assessment and Management Pty Ltd PO Box 1376 CLEVELAND 4163 Specialised ecological knowledge that reduces your risk Document Control Sheet File Number: 0397-008 Project Manager/s: Adrian Caneris Client: Redland Investment Corporation Project Title: Ecological Assessment – Stage 2 Weinam Creek Project Author/s: Dr Jo Chambers and Shelley Trevaskis Project Summary: Assess the terrestrial ecological values of lands within the Stage 2 development area for the Weinam Creek PDA. Draft Preparation History: Revision/ Checking History Track: Version Date of Issue Checked by Issued by 0397-008 Draft A 26/06/2019 Paulette Jones Jo Chambers 0397-008 Version 0 13/1/2021 Paulette Jones Jo Chambers 0397-008 Version 1 22/1/2021 Jo Chambers Document Distribution: Destination Revision 1 Date 2 Date 3 Date 4 Date Dispatched Dispatched Dispatched Dispatched Client Copy 1 - 1 26/06/2019 0 13/1/2021 1 22/1/2021 digital Client Copy 1- hard copy PDF - server 1 26/06/2019 0 13/1/2021 1 22/1/2021 PDF – backup – 1 26/06/2019 0 13/1/2021 1 22/1/2021 archived Hard Copy - library BAAM Pty Ltd File No. 0397-008 Version 1 NOTICE TO USERS OF THIS REPORT Purpose of Report Biodiversity Assessment and Management Pty Ltd has produced this report in its capacity as {consultants} for and on the request of Redland Investment Corporation (the "Client") for the sole purpose of providing an assessment of the ecological values of lands within the Stage 2 development area of the Weinam Creek PDA (the "Specified Purpose"). This information and any recommendations in this report are particular to the Specified Purpose and are based on facts, matters and circumstances particular to the subject matter of the report and the Specified Purpose at the time of production. This report is not to be used, nor is it suitable, for any purpose other than the Specified Purpose. Biodiversity Assessment and Management Pty Ltd disclaims all liability for any loss and/or damage whatsoever arising either directly or indirectly as a result of any application, use or reliance upon the report for any purpose other than the Specified Purpose. This report has been produced solely for the benefit of the Client. Biodiversity Assessment and Management Pty Ltd does not accept that a duty of care is owed to any party other than the Client. This report is not to be used by any third party other than as authorised in writing by Biodiversity Assessment and Management Pty Ltd and any such use shall continue to be limited to the Specified Purpose. Further, Biodiversity Assessment and Management Pty Ltd does not make any warranty, express or implied, or assume any legal liability or responsibility for any third party's use in whole or in part of the report or application or use of any other information or process disclosed in this report and to the full extent allowed by law excludes liability in contract, tort or otherwise, for any loss or damage sustained by any person or body corporate arising from or in connection with the supply or use of the whole part of the report through any cause whatsoever. Biodiversity Assessment and Management Pty Ltd has used information provided to it by the Client and governmental registers, databases, departments and agencies in the preparation of this report. Biodiversity Assessment and Management Pty Ltd does not know, nor does it have any reason to suspect, that the information provided to it was false, inaccurate, incomplete or misleading at the time of its receipt. This report is supplied on the basis that while Biodiversity Assessment and Management Pty Ltd believes all the information in it is deemed reliable at the time of publication, it does not warrant its accuracy or completeness and to the full extent allowed by law excludes liability in contract, tort or otherwise, for any loss or damage sustained by any person or body corporate arising from or in connection with the supply or use of the whole or any part of the information in this report through any cause whatsoever. Copyright and reproduction This report and all indexes, schedules, annexures or appendices are subject to copyright pursuant to the Copyright Act 1968 (Cth). Subject to statutory defences, no third party may reproduce, publish, adapt or communicate to the public, in whole or in part, the content of this report without the express written consent of Biodiversity Assessment and Management Pty Ltd. Signed on behalf of Date: 13/01/2021 Biodiversity Assessment and Management Pty Ltd Managing Director BAAM Pty Ltd File No. 0397-008 Version 1 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Ecological Assessment Stage 2 Weinam Creek PDA for Redland Investment Corporation EXECUTIVE SUMMARY INTRODUCTION This report has been prepared for Redland Investment Corporation to document the results of an ecological assessment over land proposed for the Stage 2 development of the Weinam Creek Priority Development Area (PDA) (the study area). The Stage 2 concept plan includes residential allotments and one super lot and a new roadway. The study area currently supports industrial buildings, car parks, mown/slashed areas and scattered stands of native trees. The focus of this assessment was to identify (a) the terrestrial ecological values within and adjoining the Stage 2 study area, (b) potential impacts to the identified values from the proposed development, and (c) relevant Federal, State and Local government approvals and mitigation measures required to address the potential impacts. METHODOLOGIES The ecological assessment combined a desktop review to broadly characterise the currently recognised ecological values of the Study Site, with a field survey to verify the ecological values and enable an informed assessment of potential impacts from the proposed actions. The focus of the field survey was to verify State mapped ecological values, whilst searching for the presence of any conservation significant species and their preferred habitats, including animal breeding places. GENERAL ECOLOGICAL VALUES The Stage 2 area consists primarily of totally cleared lands that support vehicle parking and industrial buildings, with scattered trees. The southern and western boundaries of Stage 2 are fringed by Weinam Creek and associated riparian vegetation, some of which is tidally influenced. SUMMARY OF ECOLOGICAL CONSTRAINTS AND LEGISLATIVE OBLIGATIONS Commonwealth Considerations The field survey has confirmed that Stage 2 contains no Threatened Ecological Communities (TECs). Vegetation bordering Stage 2 features species associated with TECs, however this vegetation did not meet criteria that identified it as the TEC. No threatened flora or fauna species were recorded during the terrestrial survey. However, there is some potential for two threatened mammal (Koala and Grey-headed Flying-Fox) species to be present in or near the development area. The proposed development is unlikely to cause any significant impacts to threatened fauna species and a referral to the commonwealth is not deemed necessary. One Weed of National Significance (WoNS) was recorded on site, this being Asparagus Fern Asparagus aethiopicus. State Considerations Matters of State Environmental Significance (MSES) Vegetation associated with Weinam Creek immediately adjacent to the southern boundary of the Stage 2 development area are mapped as ‘Of Concern’ Regional Ecosystems (RE) 12.1.3/12.1.1 that were confirmed during the field assessment. This vegetation is also mapped as Essential Habitat for Eastern Curlew Numenius madagascariensis. BAAM Pty Ltd File No. 0397-008 Version 1 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Ecological Assessment Stage 2 Weinam Creek PDA for Redland Investment Corporation To the west of Stage 2, an area mapped by the state as Endangered RE12.5.2a, as well as Essential Habitat for Koala, was ground-truthed as RE12.3.5 (Least Concern). Although ground- truthed as a different RE, this vegetation still meets the Essential Habitat factors for Koala. Approximately 42 m2 of mapped remnant vegetation will be cleared for the eastern stormwater outlet. For development for urban purposes in an urban area, the clearing of Of Concern vegetation is considered exempt clearing work, in accordance with the Planning Regulation 2017. The field surveys did not record any State listed EVNT fauna species and, based on an assessment of habitats in the Study Area, no State listed EVNT flora or fauna species are considered likely to occur. Consequently, no significant impacts to protected wildlife habitat are expected as a result of the proposed actions. The study area is not mapped as a wetland protection area, but Weinam Creek is mapped as a high ecological significance (HES) wetland under the Department of Environment and Science (DES) Referable Wetlands mapping. The clearing of approximately 42 m2 of vegetation on the northern boundary of the HES wetland for stormwater management is unlikely to cause any significant residual impacts to the ecological values of this wetland. Indirect impacts will be managed by appropriate management of stormwater. In addition, the proposed works includes the removal of native vegetation within the mapped 50 m buffer to this wetland. The loss of this vegetation is not likely to result in any significant impacts to the HES wetland. The proposed works will not remove more than 50m2 of marine plants above tidal limits; therefore a significant residual impact on marine plants is unlikely. State Government mapping shows that the project area is within a Koala Assessable Development Area. The Stage 2 development area is not mapped as supporting Core or Locally Refined Koala habitat. There no offset requirement under Schedule 11 of the Planning Regulation 2017 for the unavoidable clearing of Koala habitat trees in unmapped areas. NC Act Obligations No active animal breeding places were recorded during the field survey, although the Study Site supports potential animal breeding places for least concern species such as common birds.